1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for continuously applying small labels to articles such as wrapped goods, and more particularly to an apparatus for continuously applying seals to end faces of wrapped cigarette cases.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an end face of a wrapped cigarette case is applied with a belt-like seal for sealing the cigarette case or for other purposes. The central portion of the seal is attached to the corresponding end face of the wrapped cigarette case, and both end portions of the seal are folded on the side faces of the wrapped cigarette case and adhered thereto.
In the conventional cigarette manufacturing processes, cigarette cases which have been wrapped completely are intermittently transferred while the cigarette cases halt, belt-like seals are applied to the ends of the wrapped cigarette cases and then both end portions of the seals are folded on and adhered to the side faces of the wrapped cigarette cases, by utilizing the conventional apparatus.
The recent cigarette manufacturing apparatus is adapted to be operated at an extremely high speed. The processes from the manufacture of cigarettes to the wrapping of the cigarettes are performed in series. As cigarette manufacture speeds up, therefore, the number of cigarette cases which are wrapped in a unit time increases.
In order to increase the number of cigarette cases which are wrapped in a unit time, the operational speed of a seal applying apparatus must be enhanced. However, the conventional seal applying apparatus applies seals to wrapped cigarette cases which are moved intermittently, when they are stopped temporarily. The cigarette-case moving apparatus inevitably has an intermittently operating mechanism and, accordingly, cannot be moved at a very high speed due to the limitation of the inertial force of the intermittently operating mechanism.